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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day November 2016

How did it get to be the middle of November so quickly? On the fifteenth of each month, Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Click over to her blog to join in the floral fiesta! Here's some of what is blooming in my garden this November.

We've not had frost yet so the tender plants are still blooming.

Tuberous begonias.

Impatiens. I've decided to drag a couple of plants inside to see if they'll survive the winter.

'Fragrant Cloud' rose.

Saxifraga somethingorother.

While they're a bit more sparse, the fuchsias are still putting out a few blooms.

New blooms on Mahonia × media ‘Charity’ are abuzz with hummingbirds.

Surprise extra bloom on a delphinium next to Allan's tetrapanax that's been in that pot for two summers now.

Tropaeolum tuberosum 'Ken Aslet' is a late bloomer in my garden, just starting this month. The aphids didn't destroy the foliage this year and both the plant and I are very happy about that.

Abutilon

We've had a wet fall with mild temperatures. The brugmansias could have stayed outside longer but they're blooming in their winter prison.

Even as the fall blooms are in full swing, winter blooms are lining up to carry us through the dark season. Hellebore bud.

Inside, the Thanksgiving/Christmas cacti have started blooming. What's blooming in your garden this month?

I don't have as many blooms as you. I just brought my Brugs into the garage a couple of days ago. One was still blooming profusely. I've been lucky it's been such a mild, if wet, fall, since I had so much gardening I wanted to get done before winter sets in. I've still got plenty of leaves to clean up, and lots of little chores, but I can do all that little by little all winter, I think.

I can't remember ever seeing the blooms of 'Ken Aslet'; they are absolute delight, like tiny periscopes popping out... Except for a small swath of red flowering schizostylis going crazy, my garden is slowly putting on it's winter suit. The tuber begonia, in an un appealing state, is on its way to the attic.

In an earlier stage of my life i so much loved the delphinium that i even searched for the pattern for cross-stitch. I visualize the long inflorescence full of blue flowers, much longer and healthier than that in the picture. Those Tropaeleum are so cute. But all these plants are not capable of growing in our hot tropics.

Most of our bloomers are done and have been cut back or moved into the greenhouse. I have a few roses and all the fuchsias are still blooming. Our new mahonia is full of buds. Oh, and winter jasmine is erupting on the walls.

The mahonia blooming with the maple in the background is beautiful. I think the last of my hummingbirds have finally moved on. I kept hearing one a couple weeks ago, but nothing since. I've still got flowers, but no local Anna's hummingbirds. They skip over me from Portland to Puget Sound.

About Me

Why Outlaw Gardener? I like to break the rules of good taste, plant placement, and plant hardiness. Also, I have received periodic "love notes" from the city code enforcement officer telling me that my parking strip plants encroach on the city's right-of-way. When expressing my distress over the latest such notice, I exclaimed to my pal Loree (Danger Garden) "I'm an outlaw gardener!" To which she replied,"That would be a good name for a blog."
My first gardens were in Southeast Alaska (zone 3.)I do miss the beauty and community of small-town Alaska but I don't take for granted for a moment how wonderful it is to garden in zone 8.